Structure Chart and Action Block Usage Tools › Structure Chart

Structure Chart

You use the Structure Chart to analyze Action Diagrams. The branches of a Structure Chart represent the paths to lower level action blocks referenced by the USE command in the Action Diagram, including special functions.

CA Gen creates the diagram automatically when you access the Structure Chart and select an Action Diagram name. The Structure Chart consists of the selected process, procedure, or action block (represented by a rounded-corner rectangle) displayed in the middle of the screen, with the hierarchy of called action blocks (if any) branching from it.

The following colors distinguish objects on a structure chart:

When you access the Structure Chart from Analysis, you can display the charts of a process or an action block. When you access the tool during Design, you can display the Structure Chart of a Procedure Step or an action block.

A Structure Chart provides the following benefits:

• Provides information quickly about the structure of an Action Diagram
• Eliminates the need to chain between Action Diagrams to review the structure
• Provides a simple way to match import and export views of action blocks called by the USE command
• Allows you to see Procedure Step action block decomposition in a different way

Action blocks are created during Analysis and Design:

• When adding common action blocks using the Action Diagram tool during Analysis and Design
• When automatically generating a process using the Activity Hierarchy Diagram or Data Model tool during Analysis
• When implementing a process in a procedure using the Dialog Design tool during Design